Control operating mechanism



Feb. 5, 192.50 R. D. M DILL CONTROL OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 22, 1932 BY V AT ORNEYS Patented Feb. 5, 1935 m n. McDill, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to 1 Adjustable Scaffold & FormCompany, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation Application August 22, 1932, Serial No. 629,816 g,

' 5 Claims. (01."74-389) This invention relates to controlling mechanism and'is particularly applicable to the controlling of clutches and like devices, by which a source of power may be connected to or disconnected from a mechanism which it is arranged to operate. v

An object of the invention is to provide an improved controlling device which may be actuated froma distance. a i I V Another objectis .to provide an improved controlling device which may be simply: applied to apparatus of existing construction, I

Another object is to provide an improved controlling device which will be simple in construction'and operation. g v

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from the description of three practical embodiments thereof, .illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a control applied to the bustion motor;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1'; and

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure l of two modifications of the apparatus of the first two figures.

In Figure 1 is shown on end of an internal combustion motor comprising a cylinder block 1, a crank case 2, and closed at its rear by a housing 3, a clutch of the ordinary disc-type of the like being encased within the space formed by the above three parts.

A shaft 4 is connected to the mechanism which is to be driven by the motor and to one element of the clutch, while the crank shaft of the motor is connected to another element of the clutch in a well-known or any desired manner.

The clutch is actuated by the oscillation of the shaft 5, this ordinarily being operated by a ct or hand of the fragmentary side elevation of a clutch-of an internal compedal or lever moved by the fo operator.

In Figure l a sector-shaped lever 6 is keyed to the shaft 5, the arcuate portion of the sector being provided with gear teeth, and arranged to mesh with these teeth are two pinions '7 and 8 operated, respectively, by motors 9 and 10. The two pinions are arranged to be driven in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows thereon, and are arranged to upon the shafts 11 and 12 of the motors9 and 10, respectively.

These pinions may position indicated be movedinto and outsof engagement with the sector by being threaded to a sector 103 pivoted be moved inany desired or well known manner. However, it is probably most convenientto use motors and shafts of the .type provided inthe ordinary self-starters used with internal combustion engines, in the most common of which the motor shafts are threaded and. the pinion itself is either threaded internally or comiected by a spring toa nut engaging the threaded portion of the shaft, so that when the motor starts to rotate the inertia of the pinion will cause it to be movedaxially alongthe shaft until it comes into meshing engagement with the teeth of the sector. g

It will thus be seen that when motor 9, for example, has driven the sector to the right, to the in dot' and dash lines at the right in Figure 1,-that the sector will pass beyond pinion 7, and this pinion will travel along its thread, toward the motor and out of alinement with sector. If desirable, a spring or the like may be provided for returning the pinion to a position out of alinement with the sector. The sector now can be returned by motor 10 and pinion 8, and when ithas reached the position shown in the dot and dash lines, shown at the left hand of the figure, pinion 8 will be drawn along motor shaft 12 toward motor 10 and out of alinement with the sector. Upon again actuating motor 9 pinion '7 will first travel along shaft 11 until it engages the sector and then will rotate the sector to the right hand position shown.

Current is supplied to the motors from a battery or like source 13, being controlled by the switch 14, so that either of the motors may be actuated as desired.

With some clutches and other controls, direct actuation as shown in the'first two figures of the drawing oscillates the shaft 5 too rapidly, causing the clutch to grab or the clutch lining to be overly compressed, and interfering with the adjustment of the clutch.

To obviate these occurrences, when a clutch of this type is used, I find it advantageous to interpose some form of speed reduction mechanism between the sector and shaft 5. Two such speed reduction mechanisms are illustrated in Figures 3 and i, but obviously many typesof reduction mechanism such as cams, linkages and the like could be used, being arranged to meet the particular requirements of any specific clutch or the like, as to distance of throw necessary, and speed at which thejcontrol should be actuated.

In Figure 3 an arm 101 is keyed to the shaft 5, this being connected by an adjustable line 102 at 104 adjacent the bottom of the crank case. Pinions 105 and 106 actuate this sector in the same manner as do the pinions above described, but through the arrangement of the levers and link, the distance through which, and speed with which, the clutch is actuated are reduced so that it will not be as abruptly thrown in and out as in the apparatus of the first two figures.

In Figure 4 pinions 201 and 202 have been substituted for the linkage of Figure 3,.but achieve the same purpose, namely reducing the speed at which and distance through which shaft 5 is rotated.

While I have described the illustrated embodiments of my invention in some particularity, obviously many others will readily occur to those skilled in this art, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the precise details shown and described but claim as my invention all embodiments,'variations and modifications thereof coming With-. in the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Control operating mechanism comprising two motors adapted to actuate a control in opposite directions, means for selectively operating either of the motors, means automatically engaging a motor being operated with the control,

said means comprising pinions operated by the said motors, a geared sector connected to said control, and means moving said pinions to and from position to engage said sector.

2. Control operating mechanism comprising a shaft connected to a control, a toothed sector connected to said shaft, two motors arranged to rotate the sector in opposite directions, each of the motors having a pinion, means for selectively bringing either of said pinions into meshing engagement with sector, and means for selectively operating said motors.

4. Controlling apparatus for actuating a control operatedbya shaft comprising a toothed sector connected to said shaft, two motors having shafts parallel to said shaft, the shafts of the motors being threaded, pinions upon said motor shafts arranged to be translated axially therealong when the motors are first operated whereby the pinion of a motor being operated is brought into meshing engagement with said sector while the pinion of the other motor engagement therewith.

5. Contr olling apparatus for actuating a control operated by a shaft comprising a toothed sector connected to said shaft, two motors having shafts parallel to said shaft, the shafts of the motors being threaded, pinions upon said motor shafts arranged to be translated axially therealong when the motors are first operated, whereby the pinion of a motor being operated is brought into meshing engagement with said sector while the pinion of the other motor remains out of engagement therewith, the pinions and sector being so arranged that the sector at one extreme of its travel can be engaged only by the pinion capable of returning it to the"other extreme, and at the other extreme is engageable remains out of only by the other pinion.

; REX D. MCDILL. 

